Chapter 154
"So?"
"So, I'm back home," Paris said, sighing into the phone. Rory nodded, relieved, but still feeling unsettled.
"That's good, right?"
"It's…what it is. Doyle and I talked it out. He's looking for another job, and I'm helping him."
"Helping him…how?"
"How? Didn't I just help you with the same thing a couple months ago?"
"Paris, please don't tell me you've got Doyle locked in your apartment with eight charts."
"Ten. He's not you, Rory. This will actually be a challenge," Paris said dismissively. Rory swore she could hear Paris' eyes rolling over the phone.
"Well, either way- I'm glad you're back. How are you feeling? Where's Doyle now?"
"He's out at the grocery store," Paris said. In the apartment, she was walking around rather aimlessly, pacing, which was unlike her, "Rory, I have something to tell you."
"Okay," Rory inhaled deeply, bracing herself for the worst.
"I don't think I want to be a surgeon anymore after I have the baby."
"What? Paris, you've always been so sure…"
"And so were you, but look where we are now," Paris said pointedly. Rory sighed, conceding.
"But what changed? You always really seemed to love the work."
"In a way, I do," Paris said, shrugging as she sat down on the couch, putting her feet up on the coffee table, "But…I don't want to live this way once I have the baby. I don't want to be on call, always having to rush off, and I don't want this level of stress, and I don't want to have to deal with idiots for twelve hours a day that I'd prefer to be spending with my baby. I certainly don't want to turn into some sort of Donna Reed, but I want a career where I have more control over my time and I'm not so tied to a location where I can't be with her."
"Paris…this is a big decision. Have you thought it through?"
"I'm constantly thinking it through. Have you met me?"
"Have you told Doyle?"
"No, I haven't told anybody. You're the first one I've told."
"What else would you do?"
"I mean, I'm not too worried about that. I'd find something. My problem has never been a lack of interests," Paris replied, noting to herself with some amusement that her problem right at this moment was, in fact, a lack of interest.
"Well…are you going to tell Doyle? Are you sure about this?"
"I'm pretty sure. And I'll tell him, eventually. Right now we need to focus on him. If I let him handle this himself, Rory, he wouldn't get another job until next year, if then. He'd be perfectly content sitting on the couch watching the news and tweeting all day."
"That's not fair."
"It's true. I live with him, I'd know."
"…are you still going to Stars Hollow next weekend?"
"Absolutely."
"He didn't mind?"
"Not in the least. He'll get a break from the charts."
"…would you mind if Jess and I also came up?" Rory found herself asking. She rolled her eyes at herself internally. She knew that she was getting a little jealous of Paris and her mom's closeness, but they really didn't need to be out of town an extra weekend. That said, they were overdue to see Luke, she could check in on Lane, and help her mom with wedding prep.
"…sure, I guess," Paris said, shrugging, "Is it going to be okay for you to be away again this soon?"
"We'll make it work. I knew we would be leading up to the wedding anyway," Rory said.
"Which reminds me, what are their colors? I'm trying to figure out what to squeeze myself into. Doyle won't be able to make it, so baby girl is my date."
"Pinks. Lots of pinks, cool light greens, a kind of smokey purple…the bridesmaids are in a soft pink."
"I have a purple that should work well and not clash. Thanks, Rory."
"Of course. Can't wait to see you next weekend."
"You too," Paris smiled, hanging up. As soon as Rory hung up, she shook her head at herself and then dialed Jess from her office phone.
"Hey," Jess answered.
"Hey. I did something bad," Rory said, internally cringing. Jess sighed.
"Who's coming next weekend?"
"…very close. We're going to Stars Hollow."
"Seriously? What now?"
"Paris."
"Wasn't she going to see your mom?"
"I know, it just…came out. I sort of invited myself." Jess sighed.
"…fine. But only because I have a short week this week with this author, and because Luke hasn't told me a damn thing about what he needs from me for the wedding."
"Thanks, Jess."
"And if we can see Lane, that would be great, but I'd give her husband a skip if that's possible."
"I'll see what I can do," Rory promised, smirking. "Love you."
"Love you too. You owe me Red Vines!" Jess said, hanging up.
"What did Mrs. Mariano want?" Chris teased.
"Since when did we become the Little Rascals?" Jess asked, rolling his eyes. "Rory was telling me that we're going to Stars Hollow this weekend. Again."
"You guys have been going out there a lot," Matt noted casually, shelving his books. Jess nodded.
"Well, it was always gonna be that way in the lead up to the wedding. Are you guys still coming?"
"We're invited?"
"Apparently," Jess shrugged, "Lorelai said she sent you invitations."
"…Matt!"
"What? So I'm not on top of the mail," Matt said innocently, "When is it?"
"About a month out."
"And the girls?"
"You have plus ones."
"Food?"
"Will be great, and endless. Does this interrogation have an endpoint?"
"We'll be there."
"…so what fun wedding crap brings you there this weekend?" Matt asked. Jess sighed.
"Paris."
"Paris is already married, I thought," Matt said, confused. Jess rolled his eyes.
"She is. But she's spending the weekend out there."
"Awful lot of time away from home," Chris noted casually. Jess narrowed his eyes.
"Your point?"
"…not my place. Sorry."
"…she's nice, though," Matt said. Jess turned to him, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"Did you just call Paris Geller nice? I don't think she's ever been called nice."
"You know what I mean," Matt rolled his eyes, "She was…cool. It's nice that Rory has friends we can stand, you know?"
"Speak for yourself, that lunch was an attack," Chris joked. "But yeah- will she be at the wedding?"
"I believe so. I'll check with Rory."
"Please do. Always better to improve the ratio wherever possible."
"Chris, you're disgusting."
"You don't know the half of it."
Later that evening, Rory and Jess were in the apartment, eating Thai food (obviously Jess' pick for this particular evening) and catching up about their day.
"Your friends like Paris?" Rory said incredulously.
"Matt actually called her nice."
"Did he meet her?"
"He sort of amended it. But yeah, they both seem to like her."
"Huh," Rory said, "I guess I'm not…totally surprised? We both tend to have friends with strong personalities."
"And I don't tend to have guy friends that are intimidated by strong women."
"Yeah, that's usually a big problem for Paris."
"With men?"
"And women. I was relieved that Hannah held her own."
"They really seemed to get along."
"Yeah, I was surprised," Rory said, smiling a little to herself, "I think sometimes I forget just how far Paris has come. She's still herself, but…more comfortably. You know?"
"I do," Jess nodded, sharing a smile with Rory, "Though…"
"Yeah…"
"They didn't pry, or rather, I didn't let them. But she does seem comfortable being away from home a lot."
"So are we."
"We hate it."
"Point taken. Continue."
"I'm not trying to be invasive. But…is she okay?"
"I only know so much," Rory shrugged, "She's told me some parts, and some more parts now. But, as things stand, she's back home, with Doyle, who's fine with her leaving at her leisure during her final months of pregnancy, apparently."
"Is it safe for her to be traveling this much?"
"If it weren't, she wouldn't do it. She's a doctor," Rory reminded Jess, who nodded.
"Sorry, not trying to doubt her. I just don't know much about it."
"Me either," Rory shrugged, "It was never my thing."
Jess nodded. "Well, I'm glad she's finding some moments that she's happy, but I'm sorry that her life doesn't really seem to be doing it for her right now."
"I mean…aside from the baby," Rory pointed out, "She's pretty unequivocally happy about the baby. Which I did not expect."
"So no longer trying to speak at a conference a week after birth?"
"If anything, a far swing in the opposite direction. Which I also really didn't expect."
"Meaning?"
"…I'm not sure she'd want me to share yet."
"Of course," Jess nodded, "But she's happy?"
"Deliriously so, about becoming a mom," Rory nodded. "I think it's just the other pieces she's trying to figure out."
"Well then, maybe it's good she's talking to your mom," Jess pointed out gently. Rory sighed.
"It is. I know it is. I just…I hate that I can't really be here for her on this, at least not like Mom can. Since I haven't lived through this stuff. I'm used to her kind of only having me for these things."
"You know it's good for you guys that she can connect with other people, right?" Jess said softly. Rory sighed and nodded.
"Intellectually, yes. Emotionally…I guess I just always want to feel like the thing we have can't be replaced. You know?"
"It can't," Jess said, confidently.
"How do you know?"
"Rory, you're her best friend. Anyone else wanting to claim that title would need either a straightjacket or a lobotomy in a month."
"Mean!"
"And true," he shrugged, "I like Paris, but she's intense. She needs an intellectual equal, and someone with a whole lot of patience and kindness and all of that other fluffy crap you and your mom have, to really be compatible in that way. And you guys are."
"Do you think she and Doyle are compatible?" Rory couldn't help but ask. Jess frowned.
"I mean, it's not really for me to say. I've only met the guy once, and it's not my business anyway."
"Not what I asked."
"Yes, but I'm avoiding giving you an answer," Jess said, smirking. Rory rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"Fair enough," she said, "Well, this weekend she'll also have Lane. I checked in and Zack's away touring, so it's just her and the boys. Sookie said she'd take them for a bit so that Lane and I can catch up, and I think we might try to do something with Paris too."
"I think that'll be good for her. I'm glad we're going. Even though it's a pain in the ass."
"It really is, isn't it?"
"It really, really is."
